Keeping Water Clean and Accessible: Organizations Worth Supporting

Every person needs water to survive. Even small conservation efforts make a huge difference for future generations. It would be fantastic if our water supply were infinite, but that isn’t the case. Saving the water we have today is something we all should be striving toward.

While everyone can do their part in keeping our water clean, some organizations are taking it a step further. These groups are focusing their time and money on creating a world where clean water is available to everyone. The method of doing this varies by the nonprofit group, but all of them are doing excellent work. If freshwater is essential to you, these are groups of which you should be aware.

Just One Africa

Alpharetta, GA

Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Just One Africa is a 501-3 nonprofit that works with leaders in Kenya. The purpose of the organization is to address the clean water crisis for vulnerable children and orphans in the area. Having safe, clean water can help break the cycle of poverty and sickness and bring about hope and health.

This nonprofit gives clean water to more than 30,000 people each year. They have also built dormitories and a school, and have distributed filters to schools and orphanages. The group mainly serves street children, widows raising kids, and families who need better water sources.

A volunteer with the group describes their experience to give an idea of what the group is all about:

“In June I took a two week trip to Kenya with Just One Africa. I went with a team of 23 people to learn about the mission of Just One Africa and what that looks like on the ground in Kenya. We distributed water filters in communities without access to clean water and learned first-hand what a difference pure water makes to the health, wellbeing, and success of a community.”

Other items that Just One Africa provides include shoes, children’s clothing, sports equipment, and educational material. Their first deep-water well was built in 2016, which offers a reliable water source for hundreds of people.

Ocean Defenders Alliance

Huntington Beach, CA

In Huntington Beach, California, Ocean Defenders Alliance is going about saving water differently. This organization works to clean and protect marine habitats through education, documentation, and action. The main focus of the group is on removing human-made debris that can harm ocean habitats and wildlife.

All sorts of marine life, including birds, mammals, fish, and plants, are helped when abandoned fishing gear and other garbage is removed from the ocean. Most of the work this nonprofit does is at sea in a 50-foot-vessel donated by Bob Barker. The crew of the boat is volunteer divers, deckhands, and mechanics. The captain is the founder of the organization.

A resident in the area said, “This is an amazing nonprofit filled with volunteers who are passionate about making sure our oceans are clean and that the sea life there is protected as best they can. They are committed and make sacrifices out of their personal lives to do all they can to perpetuate the beauty and condition of the oceans around us.”

In 2013, the organization did 30 daylong trash removal expeditions. Thousands of trap remnants were removed, as were 1,400 pounds of nets. There were also more than 50 animals released from situations of certain death during the boat rides. Beyond that, the group offered many educational presentations at schools, dive clubs, and communities.

Wells Bring Hope

Los Angeles, CA

Wells Bring Hope drills wells to offer safe water and sanitation to people in Niger, West Africa. This is an emerging country with a history of deaths related to contaminated water. The group has drilled over 550 safe wells as of the end of 2018. That means half a million people have safe water, many of whom are women, girls, and children.

MaureenBuck, a donor for the group, said, “Wells Bring Hope is a wonderful, grassroots nonprofit! I love knowing that 100% of my donation goes directly to the projects on the ground, not to overhead costs. I was also thrilled to see that I received a report on the well that my donation made possible even though my donation was a relatively small amount.”

These wells are drilled to offer safe water in rural villages. Along with them, the volunteers provide training in hygiene and sanitation. Women in the communities are taught how to start their own companies to move out of poverty. Every village that the group helps receives continued assistance for at least 15 years afterward.

Water matters to humans, as well as the many animals and plants that make their home in the ocean. A lack of an honest effort to keep the water clean and animals healthy can have severe effects on the earth. Nonprofits like those above are working to prevent that from ever happening. You can join them to be a part of that change.